Cow Pose, or Bitilasana, is a simple yoga move that improves flexibility in the back, shoulders, and neck. It is often done at the beginning of a yoga session and can be combined with Cat Pose to form the cat-cow pose. The pose should be done slowly and never forced to the point of pain. It improves digestion, releases stress, and helps develop good posture.
Cow Pose, also known as Bitilasana, is a simple yoga move used to improve flexibility in the back, shoulders, and neck. This particular movement is often done at the beginning of a yoga session to prepare the body for more difficult movements. Cow Pose is sometimes combined with Cat Pose, called Bidalasana. When this is the case, it is known as the cat-cow pose.
To begin cow pose, the student kneels on a mat with her knees bent and her bottom resting on her ankles and feet. Her hands are placed in front of her body at the width of her shoulders. Rolling forward to place her weight on her hands, the student can place her knees directly under her hips with her body weight evenly distributed on her hands and knees. The toes should be curved so that the soles touch the floor and the heel of the foot is perpendicular to the floor. This position resembles a table, with the arms and thighs, the legs of the table, and the back of the table.
Taking a deep breath, the student lifts the hips and chest up as the abdomen sinks toward the floor. She then lifts her head up until her eye gaze is just above parallel to the floor, placing her head back. To complete the pose, the student should exhale and relax back into tabletop formation with back parallel to the floor and head down. The entire pose should be repeated several times to improve flexibility and warm up the back.
To continue with the cat pose, the student would now place the tops of the feet and toes on the floor. Next, his back curves up toward the ceiling, while his shoulders and hips relax downward. The head is then dropped and the neck is curved so that the eyes are fixed on the navel. Usually the cat-cow pose is repeated several times.
Bitilasana should be performed in a slow, smooth and flowing manner. The stretch should never be forced to the point of pain. Little by little, the student will see her flexibility in the neck and back improve so that there is a greater difference between the cow pose and the flat back position. In addition to improving flexibility, this pose manipulates the organs in the abdomen, improves digestion and waste elimination, and releases stress on the neck, shoulders, and back to help develop good posture.
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